“Then we’ll do our best not to damage it or get caught.”
“I’d feel better if we had a plan before we rush off to New Orleans. I want to understand the other clues better so we’re not blindly poking around a national park. But first, I have to take care of my business.”
“Fair enough. We’ll work through the morning rush. But see if you can get someone to fill in for you as soon as possible. Once we leave here, I’d like to swing by the boat factory. I can arrange to have Remy and some of the other Brotherhood Protectors there to help brainstorm the possible meanings of the clues. I’ll also get Swede working on obtaining blueprints of the cathedral if they’re anywhere to be found.”
A smile spread across Amelie’s face. “Now, that’s a plan I can get behind. If there’s one thing that makes me crazy, it’s going off half-cocked.”
“Then we’ll go fully cocked.”
The door opened, and the first customers of the day entered—a young mother and her three-year-old daughter.
The rush proved heavy and steady all the way to ten thirty when they finally caught a break. Amelie had texted Gisele, who offered to have her assistant, Lena Drummond, man the bakery for the rest of the day as soon as she showed up at the Mamba Wamba Gift Shop.
Amelie would need to stick around long enough to show Lena the ropes, how to run the point-of-sale system and anything else she needed to know to keep the business running in Amelie’s absence.
Luis came down at nine-thirty. While he ate one of Amelie’s amazing eclairs, they filled him in on what they’d found.
“I’m going with you,” Luis said.
“If the directions are leading us to one of the bell towers, we might have a problem,” Maurice said. “The bell towers are off-limits to the public. We’d have to sneak in. That might be considered a crime.”
“I’m willing to risk it,” Luis said.
“A federal crime,” Amelie clarified. “It would show up on your record and could keep you from getting a job or cause you to lose the one you have yet to start.”
“Then we’ll have to make sure we don’t get caught,” Luis said.
Maurice grinned. “I like the way he thinks.”
Amelie shook her head. “You two are impossible.”
“And you like to follow the rules,” Luis said. “Remember what my father always told you?”
Amelie nodded, “Don’t try to go exactly by the recipe.”
“Or rules,” Luis interjected. “Go on.”
“Sometimes, you have to go with your gut.” She sighed. “I miss him.”
Luis gave her a half-smile. “Me, too.”
“It would’ve been a lot simpler to find the painting if he hadn’t died,” Amelie said softly.
“And told us what all this means and where to look without having to unravel the clues,” Luis muttered.
Amelie stood as one of the local moms entered the bakery and asked for two dozen cookies to take to her child’s school for an afternoon snack.
Halfway through the morning, Lena appeared in the doorway, wearing jeans, a Nirvana T-shirt and black army boots. She carried a backpack slung over her shoulder. “Hey, Amelie. Gisele said you needed someone to cover for you while you run off to New Orleans for the rest of the day.”
“That’s right. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“No worries,” Lena said. “One thing, though. I have a test in Calculus tomorrow. If things get slow around here, do you mind if I use the time to study?”
“Not at all,” Amelie said. “I’m just glad you’re able to fill in for me. You can drop your backpack behind the counter, then follow me.”
Maurice admired how quickly and efficiently Amelie brought Lena up to speed and let her handle several customers before she deemed her ready to conquer the world. Or, at least, the bakery.
She drove the bakery van with Maurice and Luis as passengers to the boarding house, where they picked up Maurice’s pickup and left the van parked out front.
